In 2025 the European video‑game sector posted a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital sales representing an overwhelming 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest data released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continued shift toward online distribution and in‑app purchases across the continent, as physical copies become increasingly marginal. A noteworthy development this year is the enlargement of VGE’s flagship market analysis, the All About Games report. Where the study previously focused on the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – it now incorporates data from an additional eleven territories: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By broadening its geographic scope, VGE aims to deliver a more comprehensive picture of the industry’s health and trends across the whole European region. To compile the figures, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on three major data sources: GameTrack, the Global Software Development (GSD) database, and the newly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, providing a robust statistical base for the conclusions presented. When the numbers for the original “EU5” core markets are examined in isolation, revenue actually fell 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the top‑earning nation within this group, generating €6.5 billion, followed closely by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment figures paint a similarly detailed portrait. In 2025 there were roughly 123,000 people working in the gaming ecosystem across 8,700 development studios located in the EU and the UK. Women accounted for 24 percent of the total workforce, a modest but important representation that signals gradual progress toward gender balance in a traditionally male‑dominated field.
By country, the United Kingdom employed the largest number of industry professionals – 28,520 individuals – with Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) trailing behind. These numbers reflect both the size of the domestic markets and the concentration of development studios, publishers, and ancillary services such as marketing and localization. Platform usage data shows that mobile phones and tablets dominate the European gaming landscape, with 82 percent of gamers reporting that they play on these devices.
Console usage stands at 47 percent, while PC gaming accounts for 34 percent of respondents. Not only do mobile and tablet devices enjoy the highest adoption rates, they also generate almost half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of mobile‑first titles and the effectiveness of micro‑transaction models. When it comes to the most successful titles, the console arena was led by Electronic Arts, whose sports franchise EA Sports FC26 claimed the top spot, followed closely by its predecessor FC25.
Battlefield 6 rounded out the top three, demonstrating the enduring popularity of first‑person shooters on console hardware. The PC segment mirrored this trend, with Battlefield 6 again occupying the number‑one position.
Rockstar Games’ long‑standing hits Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 held the second and third places respectively, underscoring the lasting appeal of open‑world, narrative‑driven experiences on the desktop platform. Mobile gaming charts were topped by the casual title Coin Master, with Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga filling out the top three.
These games illustrate how simple, free‑to‑play mechanics combined with frequent content updates can capture massive audiences and generate significant revenue through in‑app purchases. Overall, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025. Women represented a substantial 46 percent of this audience, equating to roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, with an estimated 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the region was 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Younger demographics, however, continue to log higher engagement: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 spent an average of 14.30 hours gaming each week.
Parental involvement remains a key factor in shaping youth gaming habits. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to participate in setting limits on their children’s gaming activities. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools—such as time‑limit controls or content filters—to monitor or restrict playtime.
Additionally, 74 percent said they have explicit agreements with their children, employ monitoring software, or activate family settings to manage online interactions and protect younger users. Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make any in‑game purchases.
Of the minority who did buy virtual items, a striking 93 percent of parents claimed they actively supervised those transactions. Notably, average spending among children who were permitted to purchase in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting either a more cautious approach by families or a shift in pricing strategies by developers.
These findings collectively illustrate a mature, diversified European gaming ecosystem that is increasingly digital, mobile‑centric, and attentive to consumer protection. The expansion of VGE’s reporting scope to include sixteen nations provides a richer data set for stakeholders, enabling more nuanced strategic decisions for publishers, developers, policymakers, and investors as the industry continues to evolve.